Vulnerable Likoni girls get digital skills to boost employability

Maimuna (not her real name), 19, from Likoni in Mombasa, got pregnant when she was 16 years old.

She dropped out of school after sitting her KCPE exam because her parents could not raise money to take her to secondary school. Staying at home led to early pregnancy. The boy responsible abandoned her.

Her parents wanted nothing to do with her and she had to fend for herself and her child.

This made life extremely difficult. She started looking for a job, any job, but this was difficult because she had no skills.

Even the odd jobs she was targeting, like being a house help, were hard to come by because she was still a minor.

“I'm a teen mother. Being pregnant while underage drove me to depression. Every person who could offer me a job was afraid I would land them in problems because of my young age,” she said.

Then a friend told me about the Big Sister Talks programme of Tubonge Youth Initiative and linked her up.

Tubonge Youth Initiative is a community-based organisation started in 2017 by youth from Likoni who wanted to change the image of the area.

“She said it would keep me busy and avoid the stresses that had been eating me up,” Maimuna told the Star on Wednesday.

She had no computer skills. Even switching on a computer or shutting it down was a problem for her.

Through the Big Sister Talks programme, she acquired digital literacy skills which have made her employable.

“Now I can do any simple computer work,” Maimuna said.

She is among 10 vulnerable girls, including three other young mothers, who graduated from the programme on Wednesday.

They underwent a two-month digital skills training.

Her course mate, Hawaa (not her real name), was lucky enough to finish her secondary school.

However, her parents would not want to hear anything to do with college and they quickly made plans to marry her off.

Suitors came and one had already started paying her dowry.

“After finishing Form 4, I was just at home because I had nothing to do. I was just there,” Hawaa said.

She too heard about the Big Sister Talks programme from a friend and she joined.

“I thought it would give me skills that would make me employable and also fend for myself in case something happens,” Hawaa said.

She has been doing menial jobs like washing clothes.

Nadhifa Jama, who heads the Big Sister Talks Initiative, said the programme targets girls between the ages of 14 and 25.

“My vision was to get a group of female role models from the coastal community to inspire young girls who do not get opportunities for education, employment and self-development,” she said.

The programme, Jama said, also involves volunteer specialists like psychologists, counsellors on mental health, among others, who offer their services to the girls.

“The 10 who graduated today can now do anything with the computer. Some were school dropouts, so this is like rejuvenation in their lives because they have gained skills that will help them in their lives,” she said.

Tubonge Youth Initiative co-founder Jason Onyango said the Big Sister Talks programme is under the Inua Kijana Initiative.

He said girls have been neglected by society, especially in Likoni, where many programmes are geared towards helping the boy child.

Onyango said girls are left out especially in digital skills. The girls are trained on 21st Century digital skills.

Tubonge Youth helps girls and women through advocacy, mentorship and digital inclusion, he said.

“Basically we train them on using computer programmes like excel, word, powerpoint among others to collect and present data, and even know how to come up with a business plans,” Onyango said.

After gaining skills, Tubonge partners with other organisations and government entities link the girls with potential employers.

“There are opportunities that the government offers that girls like these miss out on because they don’t have digital skills,” Onyango said.

The mission, he said, is to empower the girl child and change the narrative in Likoni, which has been in the headlines for negative things like drug abuse, juvenile gangs, insecurity and teenage pregnancies.

“We want to show the other side of Likoni that is rarely seen. This will help boost businesses and sectors like tourism on this side of the channel,” Onyango said.

TYI co-founder Anthony Kyalo said Big Sister Talk is meant to help young girls come out and speak up on what ails them.

“In most cases, girls are afraid to air their problems because of the shame and the stigma that is associated with issues like teenage pregnancy. They prefer to bottle them in. This is dangerous because the pent-up issues usually blow up one day," Kyalo said.

“So we are giving them a platform to air their issues in a safe environment and we see how to address those issues to make them better people in society.” 

If not addressed early enough, the issues that weigh on girls end up pushing them towards vices like prostitution and female juvenile gangs.

“This is what also pushes girls into vulnerability. You find a school dropout seeking jobs like domestic workers and because they are too young or illiterate, they end up being prey to their bosses or their employers’ relatives,” Kyalo said.